Dodgers' Dave Roberts Reveals How He'll Navigate Dalton Rushing, Will Smith Dilemma

It seems like almost every season, the Los Angeles Dodgers have some prospect come onto the big league roster and make a major impact. It's a testament to the overall quality of the Dodgers' farm system and how this organization has built itself up for long-term success.

Early in the 2026 season, that prospect is catcher Dalton Rushing, who is proving why he belongs in the big leagues.

Rushing has been great for Los Angeles to open the season, and he has started to have some people wonder about how the team will navigate the catcher situation going forward.

But Dodgers manager Dave Roberts quickly put a halt to any ideas, saying that Will Smith is the full-time starter for the team. However, Roberts did praise Rushing for his play so far this season.

"I plan on giving Will ample rest. But make no mistake who our starting catcher is," Roberts said. "I think this is a good year for Dalton to take a lot more at-bats, catch a lot more innings."

For so long, the Dodgers didn't have a quality offensive backup to Smith, with former catcher Austin Barnes being a liability at the plate. But Rushing is changing that thought, giving the Dodgers more flexibility within lineups.

Having a player like Rushing start to emerge can be a great thing for the Dodgers, as it allows the team to give Smith more rest throughout the year. Rushing can help keep him fresh for the playoffs, while also continuing to get at-bats and reps during the year to improve his own craft.

Roberts said he plans on starting Rushing around twice a week, giving him one start per series.

So far this season, Rushing has played in three games for the Dodgers, and he has put on a show. In this limited time, the catcher has hit .667 with three home runs and four runs batted in.

Dalton Rushing is fully breaking out.

He's 4-for-4 with two home runs on Monday against the Blue Jays. He also homered on Sunday.

Rushing is now hitting .667 with an OPS of 2.367 this year. He's gonna force the Dodgers to find him more playing time.pic.twitter.com/EyeCW41qhi
— Noah Camras (@noahcamras) April 7, 2026

While Rushing isn't likely to keep up this incredible pace at the plate, any time he can start a game, it will help his development. But Rushing isn't worried about being the starter or not; instead, he is simply taking things one day at a time, learning from this experience.

“I’m not worried about being a backup my whole career. I’m really not,” Rushing said. “But at the same time, I think I’m going to take advantage of this time and learn as much as I possibly can from it.

"Some of the best catchers, best players, in this sport started as backups. So you play your role to the best of your ability, and then you get opportunities to play.”

Rushing is a former second-round draft pick of the Dodgers, and he was the top prospect for Los Angeles in 2024. The catcher is finally being given a chance to prove himself, and so far, he has taken full advantage of it.

Having role players like Rushing can help a team win plenty of games, and the Dodgers do need more guys like this next to their stars. If he can keep impacting games at a high level, the sky is the limit for Rushing in his MLB career.